1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for removing fumes and vapors from the work area of a nail technician.
2. Description of the Related Art
The hand and foot care industry has grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry with U.S. sales reaching a record 3.9 billion dollars in 1992. Including such services as manicures, application of artificial nails, and nail art, the industry appears to be headed for continued growth in our ever-increasingly fashion conscious society. Almost all states have licensing requirements which apply to the manicurist or nail technicians that work in the approximately 28,500 nail salons nationwide. Contributing to the growth of the sculptured nail industry is the fact that the average price for a set of sculptured nails is relatively high and can be even higher in the more exclusive salons which specialize in extra service and ambiance. Also, after an initial application of sculptured nails, a client may need to return to the salon every two weeks or so to have them touched-up and repaired, a process known as "filling".
A full set of nails can take up to one hour or more to complete. Before a sculptured nail can be applied, old color coats are removed and the natural nail surface is filed to created a rougher surface for better adhesion of the new nail. The natural nail surface is then sanitized with isopropanol and an acrylic primer is applied, which also promotes better adhesion. A removable mold or form is then attached to the finger nail, over which the sculptured nail is formed. The sculptured nail is formed entirely with a small brush applicator, which is dipped first into a liquid monomer, then dipped into a powder polymer containing a peroxide accelerator. The nail technician then forms the nail into the general shape before curing (hardening) takes place. Further refined shaping is accomplished by filing after curing. The nail is strengthened with thin fiberglass fabric. Cuticle oil is usually applied, and the nail is buffed. A base coat of primer is applied, followed by one or two color coats and a clear protective coat.
A variety of chemicals are used in the preparation, application, and maintenance of sculptured nails. Initially developed by dentists, the chemicals are the same as those that were used to make pink dental plastic for holding false teeth. The earlier nail products, some of which are still in use today, were not adequately modified for use on nails. Some of the chemicals used in applying sculptured nails include methyl and ethyl methacrylate, acetone, benzene, benzoyl peroxide, isobutyl methacrylate, and several other chemically related monomers. Other chemicals used in the nail sculpturing process include titanium dioxide, benzoic acid, biphenyl, various aliphatic esters, diethyl phthalate, benzenethiol, diphenyl sulfide, and phenyl benzoate. The powder used for making sculptured nails is usually polymethyl methacrylate with benzoyl peroxide added as a catalyst. The liquid used is a mixture of one or more methacrylate ester monomers and a promoter. When the powder and the liquid combine, the chemicals react so that the monomer becomes a polymer by a process known as polymerization. Other nail-building products include gels that usually contain methacrylic or acrylic ester monomers, polyurethane, and a curing agent. These products require no mixing and are applied in a two-step process involving painting the gel on the nails and then"curing" the nail under visible or ultraviolet light or by an activator in the form of a spray.
One of the most dangerous chemicals used in making sculptured nails is liquid methyl methacrylate. This chemical was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974 for use in nail products due to its risk of causing cyanide poisoning. However, there are still many nail products that contain the chemical. Methyl methacrylate makes a very strong, paper-thin, natural looking nail. However, in the addition to the risk of cyanide poisoning, there are the less severe problems of severe skin irritation (including dystrophy of the nails) and dermatitis for both the client and the nail technician. Methyl methacrylate has been largely replaced in the marketplace with other methacrylate esters such as ethyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, and several other chemically related monomers. However, these products as well as other products that are used in the making of sculptured nails pose a substantial risk to both the client and the nail technician.
Some chemicals used to make artificial nails can be irritating to breathe. For example, overexposure to methyl methacrylate vapor may cause irritation of the nose, throat, and eyes. High concentrations of this chemical may cause central nervous system depression and unconsciousness. Also, headaches and pain in the extremities have been reported from exposure to the vapor. In addition, handlers of methyl methacrylate-containing cement have developed parathesias in the fingers. For ethyl methacrylate, there are no government-mandated exposure limits. However, it has been suggested that ethyl methacrylate is toxicologically similar to methyl methacrylate. Both chemicals are highly flammable and have an odor threshold of approximately 0.2 ppm (parts per million). Exposure to acetone can also cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. At high concentrations, acetone can cause narcosis and central nervous system depression. Acetone is also highly flammable and volatile. Chronic exposure to benzene has produced irreversible injury to the blood-forming organs in humans while acute exposure to higher concentrations of benzene can cause irritation of the mucus membranes and central nervous system depression.
It is widely recognized that many of the chemicals used in nail sculpturing emit vapors which may be easily smelled because of their very low odor thresholds. For this reason, some states have strict ventilation requirements for nail salons and suggest that nail technicians use masks to minimize exposure to these chemicals and to trap the dangerous airborne dust that might be in the vicinity of their tables. Typically, when a nail technician is applying a set of sculptured nails, the technician sits on one side of a small table and the customer sits on the opposite side. Nail sculpturing is performed approximately one to two feet below the sculpturer's breathing zone. During this time, both the nail technician and the customer are exposed to any organic vapors and methacrylate dust generated by filing. Thus, this working environment is conducive to problems of odor and toxicity both for the nail technician and the customer. The problem has been particularly pronounced for nail technicians who work long hours breathing the fumes that come from the mixture of acrylic powders and liquids. Typical symptoms are headaches, sneezing, nausea and coughing.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ("ASHRAE") has responded to this health hazard by recommending building ventilation design criteria for beauty shops. ASHRAE Standard 62-1989, "Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality." ASHRAE recommends outdoor air supply rates of 25 cubic feet per minute per person (cfm/person) for beauty salons. However, not all beauty salons are able to comply with these standards either because of limitations posed by the buildings in which they are housed or financial limitations. In addition, not all nail technicians and customers will be protected from adverse effects even if the ASHRAE standards and exposure limits set by governmental agencies were met. For example, some individuals may experience negative health effects as a result of individual susceptibility such as a preexisting medical condition, hypersensitivity, or an isolated allergic reaction. Furthermore, some substances may act in combination with other conditions in a beauty salon to produce negative health effects even if appropriate standards are met. Moreover, some chemicals are absorbed by direct contact with the skin and mucus membranes, and thus potentially increase the potential for adverse effects. Accordingly, there is a need for a system with reduces exposure to harmful fumes and vapors in the working environment of a nail salon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,468 to Harris, entitled "Work Station With Fume Collecting Means" discloses an integrated, ventilated work station for nail technicians including a platform supported by pedestals, a transparent hood mounted on the platform, access slots on opposite sides of the transparent hood for insertion of the hands of a nail technician and a customer, ventilation slots for conveying heavier-than-air fumes downwardly through the platform, and a collector beneath the slots for collecting the fumes conveyed downwardly therethrough. The Harris work station also includes ducts and an exhaust fan for drawing the fumes from the vicinity of the sculpturing process. This Harris device, however, is somewhat impractical and relatively expensive to manufacture in that it comprises a complete work station. In practice, a nail technician usually applies sculptured nails to a customer while seated at a small table located in the nail salon. Theoretically, any convenient table with open surface space is acceptable. Also, it is desirable for a nail technician to be able to easily move his or her work station to various nail salons or the home of a customer.
Therefore, there is a need yet for an exhaust ventilation system which may be portable, inexpensive, and used to reduce the exposure to potentially harmful odors in the breathing zone of a nail technician who is working on the nails of a customer.